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About Me

I am a below knee amputee. More importantly, I am also Mommy to two boys, a very active 10 year old (Robby) and an mischievous toddler (Timmy). I have learned that being a parent with a disability can create some unusual and sometimes humorous situations.
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Monday, March 10, 2014

Getting Ready for Baby

I
had a fabulous weekend! It turns out that visiting with my Mom was just
what I needed to relax and refocus. Regardless of how old I get, I
guess I will always need my Mom.

With her
help (and some valuable assistance from Robby as well) I feel like I
have finally made some progress towards baby preparations. Although I am
trying to be patient, Scott's dental phobia has usurped all of the
focus in our house. Although I've tried to discuss the baby and what we
need to accomplish before his/her arrival, he has not been able to wrap
his mind around anything beyond his dental phobia. I recognize that he
has been doing his best, but I have been feeling isolated and alone
throughout much of this pregnancy. Thankfully, my Mom was more than
willing to hear all of my plans for the baby.

Saturday
afternoon we all went to Babies R Us with one goal in mind: to make a
registry list of everything that we need (or in some cases want) for the
baby. It has been almost 8 years since Robby was born. During that
time, I have lent or given away the majority of my baby things. I have
more experience with this baby, but in many ways I feel like a first
time Mom who is starting from scratch. Needless to say, each time I
tried to wrap my head around what was needed, I felt overwhelmed.

With
Robby in control of the scanner, we went up and down each aisle. He
dutifully scanned the items I selected and was extremely patient with
both my Mom and me. I was worried that he would become jealous of our
preparing for the baby, but the opposite occurred. The experience
actually enhanced his enthusiasm about being a big brother.
There is nothing like shopping for Robby to become excited!

He
was diligent about scanning everything we asked, but he certainly did
not hesitate to scan items of his choosing. Let's just say that this
baby is going to have to like turtles! From blankets and bibs to toys
and pacifiers, if a turtle option was available, it was scanned. Robby
demonstrated radar-like abilities as he spotted the turtle products
throughout the store, even when it was hidden from plain view.

Only
on one occasion did Robby look beyond turtles. He found a crib swing
which featured a robotic-like functionality and was enthralled! "Momom,
you can just put the baby in here and the swing will do all of the
work. It's like you won't even have to be there and the swing will take
care of the baby. That's definitely going to be helpful." I didn't have
the heart to burst his bubble by explaining that no piece of equipment
will ever completely take care of the baby. Instead, I let him scan the
swing. After he scanned it, he optimistically smiled and said, "You
never know. We might get lucky. This swing will do everything
automatically. Just put the baby in the seat and you're done." I fear he
is in for a shocking revelation when the little one finally arrives.

I
devised the list from a functionality perspective while Robby only
considered aesthetics (turtles). My Mom was there to remind me of the
practical items, such as bottles and wipes that somehow have slipped my
mind during the baby planning process. Between the three of us, we
managed to create a fairly comprehensive list and I left the store more
excited than ever about meeting the baby. It was empowering to finally
feel like I have begun planning for our newest little miracle.

With
the registry complete, I was feeling energized and decided to tackle
another looming task. My wardrobe has been limited to a pair of
maternity jeans, one pair of slacks, two sweaters and a handful of
Scott's big sport jerseys. Although quasi-functional, I have certainly
not been fashionable. With my time in the office increasing, always
wearing the same clothes was becoming embarrassing. I knew that I would
feel better about myself if I had a slightly larger maternity wardrobe,
so we decided to tackle the mall.

It turns
out that the selection of maternity clothes is sparse, but we finally
managed to find some cute shirts and a skirt to supplement my wardrobe.
For the first time during this pregnancy, I am actually feeling pretty
again. It's amazing what a few new shirts can do to buoy my self-esteem.

I
arrived at my Mom's house feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and
exhausted. I was able to sleep in, enjoyed being pampered and
accomplished quite a bit. While I know we still have a lot to do before
the baby arrives, it feels great to have officially started the
preparations!